Man arrested for assault on a Bellevue police officer and drunk driving

BELLEVUE, Wash. – A 21-year-old man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Bellevue police officer and driving under the influence Wednesday morning.

According to Bellevue police, at approximately 6:14 a.m., a resident told law enforcement that a man was lying over the wheel in a silver 2016 Hyundai sedan at the intersection of 148th Avenue Northeast and Bel-Red Road.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the man passed out in the driver's seat. They also determined that the vehicle was running and in “drive,” police said. The ignition had been removed and the lock on the driver's door had been broken.

Police found that the man “was in possession of various tools that could be used to commit further thefts and burglaries.”

“Bellevue police determined probable cause and decided to arrest the man for driving under the influence and possible motor vehicle theft,” BPD said. “As a precautionary measure and before officers attempted an arrest, two marked police vehicles were maneuvered in front and behind the vehicle.”

BPD said the man began resisting arrest when officers woke him up. Additional units were sent to the scene to provide support. Tasers were used to arrest the man and take him into custody.

During the incident, an officer suffered a broken finger while the man resisted arrest.

The man was arrested for drunk driving, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of burglary tools, ignition switch violation, possession of stolen mail and driving while suspended.

BPD was informed that the man may have been involved in another incident in Redmond. They also recovered suspected stolen mail from approximately 29 victims in Bellevue and Redmond.